Thursday, December 23, 2004
snow and such
Merry Christmas to everyone. I'd like to give a shout out to all my family and friends who are spread out over the miles. I hope that Santa brings you all that you wish for plus a box of cookies. Or candy, if you prefer. Here in Tennessee we are being blasted with a winter storm. This is the first white Christmas that we've seen in probably ten years or so, the type of weather for careful driving. I just put my truck in 4 wheel drive and go slow and use my brakes sparingly. I've been exposed to winter driving since I was sixteen. That was my first year of driving. When winter came, my dad did not let me drive in the ice and snow. He told me that this was my learning year. So, every time the car left the house, I went with him, and he taught me proper braking and steering for winter conditions. He was a good teacher and tried to show and tell me what he was doing and explained things such as why you need to gradually slow down instead of suddenly hit your brakes, and how to ride out the spin when your vehicle starts swerving. I was grateful for this instruction even though I was very impatient and wanted to drive that year. The Arkansas Delta was flat land snow driving, which was very easy compared to what followed.
During my years in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the University of Arkansas, I learned how to slide up and down the hills that are characteristic of that area. I worked for an inventory company and did a lot of traveling to surrounding towns, and Oklahoma & Missouri in the ice and snow. When I lived in Columbus, Ohio, the winters were managed very nicely there. Lots of snow, but the roads were clear of ice. Then I wind up back in Tennessee, where we see some winter weather, but not that often. Drivers here do well to drive when it's raining, much less when you have four inches of snow on the ground. We have some hills and curves, but nothing like my Northwest Arkansas experience. The toughest part of my drive is about a hundred yards from the main highway. (Yes, I do live off the beaten path! Take a right off the main road...) I have this downhill slope with curves that has to be taken very slowly so that you don't wind up in the woods on either side of the road. One funny thing I saw last night was that one of the highway department road crew trucks got stuck in the median of the four-way highway near my house. It was still there when I drove to work this morning. I bet it will take a long time for that guy to live that mistake down. A new definition of winter weather: You know it's really bad when...even the road crew trucks get stuck in the snow.
Merry Christmas to all...and Happy Trombones to some of us!
Abbeygrape, still hangin' out on the winter vine...
During my years in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the University of Arkansas, I learned how to slide up and down the hills that are characteristic of that area. I worked for an inventory company and did a lot of traveling to surrounding towns, and Oklahoma & Missouri in the ice and snow. When I lived in Columbus, Ohio, the winters were managed very nicely there. Lots of snow, but the roads were clear of ice. Then I wind up back in Tennessee, where we see some winter weather, but not that often. Drivers here do well to drive when it's raining, much less when you have four inches of snow on the ground. We have some hills and curves, but nothing like my Northwest Arkansas experience. The toughest part of my drive is about a hundred yards from the main highway. (Yes, I do live off the beaten path! Take a right off the main road...) I have this downhill slope with curves that has to be taken very slowly so that you don't wind up in the woods on either side of the road. One funny thing I saw last night was that one of the highway department road crew trucks got stuck in the median of the four-way highway near my house. It was still there when I drove to work this morning. I bet it will take a long time for that guy to live that mistake down. A new definition of winter weather: You know it's really bad when...even the road crew trucks get stuck in the snow.
Merry Christmas to all...and Happy Trombones to some of us!
Abbeygrape, still hangin' out on the winter vine...
